Guna Mola Panel, Paired Spirit Goblets with Serpents

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The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1

By Dana Auctions LLC

May 16, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-05-16 11:00:00 2026-05-16 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/dana-auctions-llc/the-parker-neal-mola-collection---part-1-23111
The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction on May 16 presents a compelling selection of molas drawn from the renowned collection of Ann Parker and Avon Neal, co-authors of Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. This first offering has been thoughtfully curated to highlight some of the most interesting and visually striking examples from their extensive holdings. Dana Auctions LLC dana@danaauctions.com

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• Lot Description
  Panama (Guna Yala), Circa 1960s 16 x 19 inches Densely worked reverse appliqué mola panel featuring two large paired goblet or chalice forms, each containing an anthropomorphic spirit figure, executed in three layers of red, dark grey-black, and green cotton with extensive appliqué and embroidery throughout. The composition is organized in bilateral symmetry around a central vertical axis. The two goblet forms dominate the upper half of the panel, their wide cup-shaped bowls tapering to narrow stems that connect to dome-shaped bases below. Each goblet is outlined in successive channels of orange, dark grey-black, and green, creating a bold layered border effect. Within each goblet, a standing spirit figure is rendered with arms raised and hands splayed, its body worked in dark cotton against the red ground. The figures are filled with dense rows of multicolored running stitches in pink, blue, yellow, white, and purple. Each figure has a small smiling face at its head worked in dark cotton with embroidered eyes and mouth, outlined in yellow and pink respectively. The eyes of the goblet forms themselves are rendered as small rectangular appliqué patches — one in pink with white, the other in yellow — positioned on either side of each figure's torso. Prominent rows of white vertical bars at the base of each cup form suggest bared teeth or a grinning mouth, giving each goblet an animated, mask-like quality. Between the two goblet stems at center, a small double-headed serpent or bird form is worked in red and yellow appliqué on a dark ground, with embroidered details in pink and teal and small white eyes. Below, each dome-shaped base contains a sinuous serpent form — one rendered in blue with a dark outline, the other in pink — each with a small white embroidered eye, their undulating bodies curving through the enclosed space. The surrounding red ground is filled throughout with rows of vertical slit work in a vibrant palette of green, yellow, pink, orange, teal, blue, purple, and lime green, leaving no unworked space across the panel. The overall effect is one of strong bilateral symmetry and striking graphic presence. The combination of the goblet-as-face motif with the enclosed spirit figures and serpent forms below suggests layered symbolic meaning, possibly drawing on Guna cosmological imagery of spirit vessels or transformation. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear consistent with age. Colors remain vibrant. In house Flat Rate US Shipping of $15 for 1 -10 molas, $5 each additional 10 molas. Insurance is additional and required.
• Shipping Info

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